Thailand Film Dubbing -Timed Text Style Guide: General Requirements

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Always keep the text on one line, unless it exceeds the character limitation. Follow these basic principles when the text has to be broken into 2 lines:

The line should be broken

after punctuation marks

before conjunctions

before prepositions

The line break should not separate

a noun from an article

a noun from an adjective

a first name from a last name

a verb from a subject pronoun

a prepositional verb from its preposition

a verb from an auxiliary, reflexive pronoun or negation

6. Positional Data

Should be expressed in generic terms (textAlign, displayAlign, etc.)

Do not use absolute values (percentage, pixels, etc.)

All subtitles should be center justified and placed at either the top or bottom of the screen, except for Japanese, where vertical positioning is allowed (see Japanese Timed Text Style Guide for details).

7. Timing

Timing to Audio: Subtitles should be timed to the audio or, if necessary, within 3 frames of the audio. If more time is required for better reading speed, the out-time can be extended up to 12 frames past the timecode at which the audio ends.

Timing to Shot Changes: It is good practice to avoid subtitles that cross the shot changes whenever possible, as this is disruptive to the viewing experience.

Dialogue that crosses shot changes: when dialogue crosses the shot change the timecodes should be adjusted to either be at the shot change or at least 12 frames from it.

If dialogue starts between 8-11 frames (green zone) before the shot change, the in-time should be moved up to 12 frames before the shot change.

If dialogue starts 7 frames or less (red zone) before the shot change, the in-time should be moved to the shot change.

If dialogue ends between 8-11 frames (green zone) after the shot change, the out-time should be moved out to 12 frames after the shot change.

If dialogue ends 7 frames or less (red zone) after the shot change, time code out should be moved to the shot change, respecting the two-frame gap.

If there is one subtitle before and one after the shot change, the second one should start on the shot change, and the first should end two frames before.

8. Consistency

Glossaries/consistency sheets/formality tables must be created and used for translation across episodes and seasons. They should be provided to Netflix upon delivery of timed texted material for QC purposes.

Subtitle all plot pertinent and otherwise relevant on-screen text that is not covered in dialogue and/or redundant in the target language such as: “Based on True Events”, “In Loving Memory of Anna”, etc.

11. Currency

Currency should not be converted in the subtitle files. Any mention of money amounts in dialogue should remain in the original currency.